FORT WORTH, Texas (April 11, 2012) – A team of undergraduate students from Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Faculty of Economics in Osijek will compete against students from 21 universities around world, April 19-20, 2012, at the Neeley School of Business at TCU, for the best business plan that incorporates values, ethics and service into a for-profit business. The Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition encourages undergraduate business students to create for-profit ventures that have strong business viability, meaning for the organization, and/or significantly improve quality of life.
“There are very few undergraduate business plan competitions, and this competition is even more unique in championing business plans that combine smart business practices with meaningful personal values,” said Ann McDonald, Director of the Values and Ventures Program at the Neeley School of Business.
Strossmayer students Tamara Karoli and Vanja Kubatka (working under the mentorship of Professor Sunčica Oberman Peterka) submitted their written business plans to the Neeley School on April 9. They will travel to TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, to make their presentations to a panel of judges on Thursday, April 19. Finalists will present to a different panel of judges on Friday, April 20. Winners will be announced at an awards dinner that evening at the Omni Hotel, hosted by the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center. Dean Homer Erekson will announce the winners. The first place team will be awarded $15,000, second place will be awarded $10,000, third place $5,000 and fourth place $2,500.
Participating schools for the 2012 competition are:
- Babson College, Wellesley, ME
- Ball State University, Muncie, IN
- Belmont University, Nashville, TN
- Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
- Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI
- Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
- Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
- Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Monterrey, Mexico
- New York University, New York City, NY
- Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK
- Royal Roads University, British Columbia, Canada
- Samford University, Birmingham, AL
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
- Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business, Fort Worth, TX
- University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
- University of Houston, Houston, TX
- University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
- Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC
- Walsh University, North Canton, OH
- Wilfrid Laurier University, Ontario, Canada
For more information about the 2012 Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Business Plan Competition, visit www.neeley.tcu.edu/vandv.
